Without knowing anything about the person reading this, I know the subject line of this article to be true. Why do I know this? Because amino acids are essential, flexible, necessary, requisite, paramount, and other adjectives of the sort. For the most part, we all understand the importance of pre workouts and protein. What if I told you that you could potentially be missing out an extremely important aspect of your supplement program? A supplement that can increase recovery, endurance, turnover into muscle tissue, nutrient transport, and storage of those nutrients.  

Benefits of Amino Acids

Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA’s, are amino acids that help muscle growth and sustenance in several ways. Many studies have shown they may increase nitrogen levels in your muscles, which allows you to work out without losing lean muscle tissue later. They can also help sustain muscle glycogen stores. This means that during your workout, you’ll get more fuel to lift more weight and carry out more reps.  

EAA stands for “Essential Amino Acid.” These are compounds that the body does not make—you get them from the foods you eat (although not enough). EAAs work to stimulate cellular repair and boost cell energy, which can help gain lean muscle. They also help to extract the nutrients from the food you eat so they can be properly absorbed by the body. If nutrients aren’t absorbed, the food you eat can easily turn into fat stores. You can find EAA’s naturally in proteins such as meat or eggs, but if you want to see a difference in muscle growth and energy, try an EAA product to supplement your workout.  

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein; without them nothing living could exist. To give you a high-level idea of what amino acids do here are some main points:

• Anti-catabolic: this means that they prevent muscle breakdown and wasting.
• Fat burning: carnitine has a direct effect on fat burning, but by preventing muscle breakdown amino acids indirectly help burn fat and not muscle.  
• Recovery
• Protein synthesis: using protein more efficiently for conversion to muscle tissue.
• Taste: amino acids come in great flavors that help curb cravings and take the monotony out of drinking water.  

Types of Amino Acids

These are some of the heavy hitters when it comes to amino acids and potential benefits.  

Leucine

Leucine is the strongest of the BCAAs, and is responsible for the regulation of blood-sugar levels, the growth and repair of tissues in skin and bones, and of course skeletal muscle.

It's a strong potentiator to Human Growth Hormone (HGH). It helps in healing wounds, regulating energy, and assists in preventing the breakdown of muscle tissue.

Isoleucine

Leucine’s little brother; isoleucine’s benefits should not be minimized. Very similar to leucine in most every way, but different in one aspect. Isoleucine promotes muscle recovery, regulates the blood-sugar levels and stimulates HGH release. But isoleucine holds its own in terms of wound healing.

It helps in the formation of hemoglobin and is strongly involved in the formation of blood-clots, the body's primary defense against infection through open wounds.

Valine

This amino acid helps the repair and growth of muscle tissue directly. It maintains the nitrogen balance and preserves the use of glucose. Nitrogen retention and muscle glycogen have an effect on muscle pumps and fullness. This is especially beneficial while in a caloric deficit.  

Threonine

An essential amino acid that is not manufactured within the body…ever. It's found in heart tissue, skeletal muscle, and nerve tissue in the central nervous system.

Threonine is used to form the body's two most important binding substances, collagen and elastin. It is also essential to maintain proper protein balance.

Threonine is involved in liver functioning, lipotropic functions (when combined with aspartic acid and methionine) and in the maintenance of the immune system by helping in the production of antibodies and promoting growth and activity of the thymus.

But perhaps its most useful property of all is that it allows better absorption of other nutrients, so protein sources containing threonine are more bio-available than others.

L-Glutamine

This is a non-essential amino acid that is present in the body in large amounts. At times it forms 60 percent of your total amino acid pool. Because it passes through the blood-brain barrier rather easily it's often called brain-food.

It may aid memory recall, focus, and concentration. In the brain, it converts to glutamic acid, which is essential for brain functioning and increases GABA (gamma-amino-butyric-acid, another popular supplemented amino) needed for mental activities. It is used in synthesis of muscle-tissue.

We all know we need nitrogen to get big, but too much nitrogen in the body could cause ammonia in the brain. Glutamine helps to get rid of it by attaching itself to the nitrogen and forming glutamic acid, it then escorts it out of the body. Glutamine is also one of the main building blocks in the genetic coding.

It is found in several strands of DNA and RNA, more than other aminos. And most important perhaps, is that it balances the acid/alkaline level, so it reduces lactic acid. Lactic acid is that burning sensation you get while exercising (think of a side stitch while running).

It decreases the cravings for sweets which can be of use on a diet, and a metabolite of glutamine called Monosodium Glutamine (MSG), a sa lt, is used as a flavor enhancer. Contrary to what you may have heard or read…MSG is not a bad thing.  

Breach

Breach from Redcon1 contains all the necessary BCAAs to power you through your workout and ensure that recovery is optimized. Breach also contains an electrolyte formula that will maximize hydration and keep levels in a healthy range.  

Grunt

Grunt has a plethora of EAAs to aid in recovery, muscle growth, and muscle hydration. Use the supplement elite athletes have known about for years. If you want to unlock new growth and keep your muscles well-hydrated and properly fed with a steady dose of amino acids, make sure you keep Grunt as part of your daily, year-round supplement program.

Take your recovery and muscle growth to new heights by not skipping out on some of the most important nutrients your body needs!  

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